I am beyond excited to finally release this track!

Black Ivan, who I have worked closely with on Fiesta En La 8 for a couple years now, is objectively the most talented producer I’ve ever known. [Check out his remixes of “The Motto” and “Timmy Turner” here]. So, it’s pretty easy to say that we’ve had a standing invite to collaborate on a track. The problem was, I never had an idea worth presenting: that’s not to say that I thought my ideas weren’t good enough. I literally didn’t have any remix ideas, period!

When I heard that Ed Sheeran was releasing two singles, I was ecstatic. I’ve been a massive Ed fan for as long as I can remember, and he is definitely one of the few artists I would see in concert more than once. (My girlfriend and I managed to score some free tickets to see Ed, Beyonce, Coldplay, and a few others in the city a couple of years back.) I immediately fell in love with “Shape of You.” It wasn’t that I had fallen victim to media hype. This, to me, is definitive Ed. The storytelling singer-songwriter, with catchy riffs and awesome harmonies. The idea literally hit me on the subway to my internship minutes after buying the track. So, as soon as I got above ground I immediately texted Black Ivan.

The production for this track literally flew by. We worked for about 8 hours nonstop, for 4 days in a row. As a matter of fact, we were up all night last night finalizing the album art!

***DOWNLOAD HERE***

I would definitely say that this collab was a truly eye-opening experience. So, I decided to add a bonus mini-post! Check it out:

Three Things I Learned on My First Collab

1. Know What You Want to Do

Knowing that I wanted to do a dancehall-type remix definitely spearheaded the production. I had a pretty solid idea for the rhythmic end, and B.I. had been planning the drop for quite some time. We both came in with the entire track nearly pre-written! I don’t think the project would’ve worked as well if we didn’t have a game plan.

2. Check Your Ego At The Door

When strong creative types come together, butting heads is almost guaranteed. A true collaboration should be just that, from beginning to end. Looking back, I regret not being more humble and receptive, especially when we designed the album art last night. Thankfully, “creative differences” didn’t destroy our friendship!

3. Don’t Mix and Master on the First Night

A new project is always exciting, but don’t get ahead of yourself! It’s new, and the idea of doing an entire track from start to finish in a day is exactly what it sounds like – too good to be true. Give yourself a day or two to rest your ears and let the excitement die down a bit before you mix and master – it will definitely pay off in the end.

Looking back, if I had to do it again, I would do it the exact same way. A big thanks goes out to Black Ivan for collaborating with me on this project. Let me know what you think of the track in the comments!

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